Despite the mind-boggling number of issues he must attend to – was it a mistake for President Obama to refrain from traveling to Germany for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall?
According to Le Figaro’s chief editorialist, Pierre Rousselin, President Obama not only missed a chance to demonstrate the strength of democracy, he showed how low Europe is on his list of priorities.
For Le Figaro, Pierre Rousselin writes in part:
“The absence of Barack Obama in Berlin yesterday, among the leaders of countries which have been central to our history, is a telling confirmation of his indifference toward a continent that is no longer a priority for the United States.
“But it was also a missed opportunity: the fall of the Berlin Wall symbolizes the firmness of democracies in the face of oppression. America, like Europe, should be inspired by this event to tear down all walls, in Iran, Afghanistan, the Middle East and elsewhere.”
Editorial By Pierre Rousselin
Translated By Sandrine Ageorges
November 9, 2009
France – Le Figaro – Original Article (French)
Any American president other than Barack Obama would have traveled to Berlin for the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Wall – if for no other reason than to celebrate the essential role of the United States in the victory of freedom in Europe.
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